While I wasn’t able to play with Windows Phone 8 software, I was able to hold the 8X in my hands, to listen to some surprisingly crisp music through the 8X’s back speaker, and to see an up-close demo of the software by an HTC representative. It felt quite light in my hands and Windows Phone 8’s software was incredibly responsive and fast.

It was exactly what I expected — not a major surprise but not a disappointment either. The phone, along with Nokia’s 920 and 820, will help spread the word on Windows Phone 8 as a solid alternative to iOS and Android.